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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · mate · perch · rest · row · plane · bay · leaves

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pop — music
  8. rest — a break
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. row — to paddle
  16. rest — what's left
  17. row — a line
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com